The Kuala Lumpur-based governing body posted an operating deficit of $2.5 million (£2 million/€2.25 million) and a total deficit of $1.8 million (£1.4 million/€1.6 million) for the year to last December.

This compares with a $4.4 million (£3.5 million/€4 million) operating surplus and $4.7 million (£3.7 million/€4.2 million) total surplus in 2018.

The latest loss was run up on total gross income of $25.8 million (£20.4 million/€23.2 million).

Overall expenditure reached $28.3 million ((£22.4 million/€25.5 million), of which a little more than half - $14.7 million (£11.6 million/€13.2 million) - was spent on events, with $5.6 million (£4.4 million/€5 million) earmarked for development, $3.5 million (£2.8 million/€3.2 million) general and administrative expenses, $1.15 million (£910,000/€1 million) marketing and $0.78 million (£0.6 million/€0.7 million) integrity.

Importantly, given the continuing coronavirus crisis, which has forced cancellation or postponement of scores of sporting events up to and including the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, the latest balance-sheet, or statement of financial position, is strong.

As at December 31, current assets totalled fractionally under $46 million (£36.3 million/€41.4 million), more than $43 million (£34 million/€38.7 million) of which is cash and bank balances.

This should allow the federation - which is one of the first international sports bodies to release full 2019 figures - the flexibility to ride out a crisis that is turning 2020 into a bleak year for the previously buoyant sports industry.

Last year brought a sharp 36.6 per cent hike to $2.94 million (£2.32 million/€2.65 million) in BWF’s employee costs, but also a 20 per cent increase, to 42, in the number of employees.

A note in the accounts also reveals a $100,000 (£79,000/€90,000) "honorarium to President".

This was unchanged from 2018, but up from $62,500 (£49,400/€56,250) in 2017 and zero, seemingly, in 2016.

Anti-doping costs rose somewhat to just under $480,000 (£380,000/€430,000).

Included in marketing spend was more than $150,000 (£120,000/€135,000) earmarked for "China market initiative" and $200,000 (£158,000/€180,000) for esports.

An allocation of $650,000 (£510,000/€585,000) was made for "HSBC marketing activation".

The bank is BWF’s global development partner.

The accounts also disclose that BWF has committed $6 million (£4.74 million/€5.4 million) from its accumulated surplus to "build the human resources capacity of the five continental Confederations" over the six years beginning 2018.

While the strength of its asset base should help BWF to ride out the COVID-19 storm, the stopping of sport in its tracks nonetheless looks set to make 2020 a difficult year financially.

In 2016, the equivalent year of the last Olympic cycle, Olympic income of $15.4 million (£12.2 million/€13.9 million) accounted for more than half of the governing body’s gross income.

Questioned on the current financial situation by insidethegames, BWF said that "various activities" had been put on hold, but "we do not have any immediate cashflow issues".

While it said it had been in dialogue with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), "at this stage we will not be asking for an advance on the IOC’s revenue share".